Greater Anglia Vacancies -Trainee Mainline Driver

[bruebunny]

Hello all

I did an online assessment for this role. Does this count as a life gone for the assessment or are the two chances still intact?

Many thanks

You only lose lives for fails at a test centre or at interview.

 

[OneLowban]

You only lose lives for fails at a test centre or at interview.

Just to be clear these are the psychometric tests and the MMI only that you lose ‘lives’ for.

Driver Manager Interviews can be done an unlimited amount of times. Though for the same company you need to usually wait 6 months between.

 

[Trainee101]

My application still says under consideration, I also haven't had any email referring to to the online assessment.

anyone in the same boat, no contact since I applied...

I'm the same. Applied for trainee depot and trainee mainline driver roles 2 months ago. No contact since and still says under consideration. I guess we'll all hear pretty soon now that the roles aren't being advertised anymore

 

[Mekiz79]

Sorry to heard that ...abbywood or old oak common?? What no vacancy at those depots

The depot I applied for was Gidea Park. I don't live anywhere near the other depots so it's the only place i can work from. And I heard that a load of people joined and then internally transferred to Gidea from other depots so they have a surplus at the moment!

 

[Nevergiveup]

Goodnews everyone!


Firstly, I would like to apologise for the email sent to you Yesterday afternoon stating that you failed your online assessment. I realise it was a system error which had generated a generic email being sent to you stating that you had failed. You have passed the on- line assessment. I would like to confirm that your application is still being considered during the driver shortlisting process. Your online assessment scores will be held on our system for a year from the date you had initially completed the on- line assessment.

 

[Lee Saunders]

I just got an email saying the email I received yesterday about failing the online assessment was a mistake. It was system error. So there is still hope for everyone. Good luck.

 

[DepotDosser]

Yeah got that as well. Nice rollercoaster ride if anything all this. Aye?!

 

[Lee Saunders]

Yeah got that as well. Nice rollercoaster ride if anything all this. Aye?!

Definitely lol. I would say almost comical lol. Almost

 

[Kay_M]

I also received the below email too

Goodnews everyone!


Firstly, I would like to apologise for the email sent to you Yesterday afternoon stating that you failed your online assessment. I realise it was a system error which had generated a generic email being sent to you stating that you had failed. You have passed the on- line assessment. I would like to confirm that your application is still being considered during the driver shortlisting process. Your online assessment scores will be held on our system for a year from the date you had initially completed the on- line assessment.

 

[Arthurjack]

Hello all

I did an online assessment for this role. Does this count as a life gone for the assessment or are the two chances still intact?

Many thanks

No
This doesn’t count. You may have to leave 6 months between applications. But the two life relates to attending assessment centres in person

 

[ratbag]

I also received the below email too

You received PR speak from GA recruitment. GA recruitment to be quite frank, are not very good. A simple. "Unfortunately, there are no positions available" would suffice for 99% of the reasonable men and women that inhabit these great isles. GA communication has been shockingly non-existent, unless you initiate communication. It's been a complete balls up from the get-go and an eye-opener to the incompetence of the recruitment team.

1. Firstly, who in their right mind would run a Trainee Train Driver advert for 9 months?
2. Apart from their own SJT, they appeared clueless how to filter down applicants, because people passed their SJT and heard nothing afterwards.

For most applicants, they are held hostage to which TOC they can apply to, due to your location. MTR Crossrail, have great communication and you knew where you stood all through the process. GA on the other hand were advertising for positions they knew internally they did not have, especially for external applicants. Of the London route TOC's, GA recruit and train the smallest number of Trainee Train drivers. Using this forum as a barometer, the GA thread had the smallest number of posters who commented on being invited for stage 1 and correlates with what a train driver manager told me. If one was to extrapolate, anecdotally the answer is right here in this thread.

Fortunately, I'm going forward with another TOC, but if I was reliant on GA, I would be apoplectic with rage, given how they have handled recruitment for this role. At the very minimum, they should invite candidates who passed the SJT, to take Stage 1 and those successful, to then take stage 2 and stick them in a talent pool. Otherwise what is the bloody point of taking their test and passing? Some companies train people at a cost, while others poach and save on training costs. For their London routes, GA historically hires qualified drivers.

 

[DMcq2010]

Surely the hiring TOC's would benefit more from a stronger form of online screening. With both GA and Arriva there has just been an SJT which with common sense I would say that most people will pass. Whereas with freightliner I had to complete an online assessment of aptitude and concentration aswell as an SJT before getting to stage 1. Surely that would speed up their process aswell as helping them to guide the best candidates going forward.

 

[MidlandsChap]

Surely the hiring TOC's would benefit more from a stronger form of online screening. With both GA and Arriva there has just been an SJT which with common sense I would say that most people will pass. Whereas with freightliner I had to complete an online assessment of aptitude and concentration aswell as an SJT before getting to stage 1. Surely that would speed up their process aswell as helping them to guide the best candidates going forward.

In theory that would be great, but unfortunately there are a lot of unscrupulous people in this world.
Speaking as somebody who has conducted many interviews over the years. On more than a few occasions I have found myself sitting in front of a candidate thinking there is no way on this earth that it was you who filled out the job application I am holding in front of me.
GA and all other TOCs have a massive duty of care over their passengers. They need to ensure that the person who has applied for the position is the same person who is taking all the tests. Hence the extremely vigilant reviewing of identification on assesment days.

 

[DMcq2010]

In theory that would be great, but unfortunately there are a lot of unscrupulous people in this world.
Speaking as somebody who has conducted many interviews over the years. On more than a few occasions I have found myself sitting in front of a candidate thinking there is no way on this earth that it was you who filled out the job application I am holding in front of me.
GA and all other TOCs have a massive duty of care over their passengers. They need to ensure that the person who has applied for the position is the same person who is taking all the tests. Hence the extremely vigilant reviewing of identification on assesment days.

I get what you're saying but these people would still have to sit stage 1 and 2 in person as well as the interviews, so duty of care would still be fulfilled. In regards to the application, someone else could still complete and do an SJT in its current format, in theory you would be adding another layer to that.

 

[MidlandsChap]

Oh I see what you mean.
But im not sure how adding by another layer to the process would help speed things up.

 

[ratbag]

In theory that would be great, but unfortunately there are a lot of unscrupulous people in this world.
Speaking as somebody who has conducted many interviews over the years. On more than a few occasions I have found myself sitting in front of a candidate thinking there is no way on this earth that it was you who filled out the job application I am holding in front of me.
GA and all other TOCs have a massive duty of care over their passengers. They need to ensure that the person who has applied for the position is the same person who is taking all the tests. Hence the extremely vigilant reviewing of identification on assesment days.

I disagree with your premise entirely and get the impression you are defending GA, as a member of the recruitment union. No offence intended, people may well get somebody to fill in the application and do the SJT, but then they will have to take stage 1 and 2 in a setting and environment where competences are verified. So the extremely vigilant reviewing argument doesn't pass the logical test. It's not just one test, but a series of tests and not to a national standard, but to enhanced.

I quickly came to the conclusion GA cuts corners and saves on training costs significantly, just by extrapolating from reading this form. The extremely helpful person going through his trainee driver course, passed their stage 1 and 2 with another TOC. Myself and many other were asked if we had previously taken any stages. Some of those who had, were advanced and all of those who had not taken any stages received no further contact. There are a multitude of other posts on this forum and particularly in this thread, that leaves me in no doubt what GA's, recruitment strategy is.

Again, I'll have no tears, or a PC bone in my body. It is what it is. I'll always call a spade a spade and GA's recruitment strategy from my perspective is see-through. GA should dispense with the SJT's, if they are not prepared to give those who passed an opportunity to take a stage 1 assessment. Otherwise what's the point?

 

[MidlandsChap]

I disagree with your premise entirely and get the impression you are defending GA, as a member of the recruitment union.

If you go to the trouble of reviewing my posting history you will see I have applied for a job with GA, and have posted on and off about it since I applied back mid 2018. Accordingly I would appreciate it if you would not go putting out such wild unfounded accusations about fellow forum members.

Yes their recruitment takes time and can be frustrating but thats not uncommon with TOCs. Coming on here slagging them off and putting the world to rights (as you see it in your mind) will do you no favours. Would not be surprised if GA bods pop in here every now and then actually.

Given you are clearly so aggrieved with GAs recruitment process, can we take it you have withdrawn your application?

 

[ratbag]

Accordingly I would appreciate it if you would not go putting out such wild unfounded accusations about fellow forum members.

You lost me right there. What wild and unfounded accusation did I make?

 

[UPS1550]

I disagree with your premise entirely and get the impression you are defending GA, as a member of the recruitment union. No offence intended, people may well get somebody to fill in the application and do the SJT, but then they will have to take stage 1 and 2 in a setting and environment where competences are verified. So the extremely vigilant reviewing argument doesn't pass the logical test. It's not just one test, but a series of tests and not to a national standard, but to enhanced.

I quickly came to the conclusion GA cuts corners and saves on training costs significantly, just by extrapolating from reading this form. The extremely helpful person going through his trainee driver course, passed their stage 1 and 2 with another TOC. Myself and many other were asked if we had previously taken any stages. Some of those who had, were advanced and all of those who had not taken any stages received no further contact. There are a multitude of other posts on this forum and particularly in this thread, that leaves me in no doubt what GA's, recruitment strategy is.

Again, I'll have no tears, or a PC bone in my body. It is what it is. I'll always call a spade a spade and GA's recruitment strategy from my perspective is see-through. GA should dispense with the SJT's, if they are not prepared to give those who passed an opportunity to take a stage 1 assessment. Otherwise what's the point?

I had never applied for a TOC before and was offered two dates for stage 1...not sure where your extrapolating your data from...

 

[ratbag]

I had never applied for a TOC before and was offered two dates for stage 1...not sure where your extrapolating your data from...

I'm not going to engage in an argument, especially on the internet. I gave an opinion and that's it. If you take my comments literally, you've already gone off tangent. I never implied they never took people who had never taken Stage 1or stage 2. Just be a little more nuanced in your thinking when reading my comments.

 

[Timpg]

I disagree with your premise entirely and get the impression you are defending GA, as a member of the recruitment union. No offence intended, people may well get somebody to fill in the application and do the SJT, but then they will have to take stage 1 and 2 in a setting and environment where competences are verified. So the extremely vigilant reviewing argument doesn't pass the logical test. It's not just one test, but a series of tests and not to a national standard, but to enhanced.

I quickly came to the conclusion GA cuts corners and saves on training costs significantly, just by extrapolating from reading this form. The extremely helpful person going through his trainee driver course, passed their stage 1 and 2 with another TOC. Myself and many other were asked if we had previously taken any stages. Some of those who had, were advanced and all of those who had not taken any stages received no further contact. There are a multitude of other posts on this forum and particularly in this thread, that leaves me in no doubt what GA's, recruitment strategy is.

Again, I'll have no tears, or a PC bone in my body. It is what it is. I'll always call a spade a spade and GA's recruitment strategy from my perspective is see-through. GA should dispense with the SJT's, if they are not prepared to give those who passed an opportunity to take a stage 1 assessment. Otherwise what's the point?

But surely it makes sense from the companies perspective to recruit those that have already passed the psychometric tests first? These individuals can be interviewed, medical tested and started on a course reasonably straight away. These tests cost in excess of £500-£600 if not more per person ( I think lol ), and it’s a gamble as to wether said person passes or not! Although I did find the length of time the add was open for rather odd, I can’t see any problems with their recruiting. GB were recently advertising for trainee drivers, they asked only for those who had passed the psychometric tests to apply! So those who hadn’t, didn’t even have a look in at all!!

 

[Twotwo]

Does anyone how how many years the assesment results are valid for GA? I no the Rssb standard is 5 years but I know some tocs do 2-3 years.

 

[Teddyward]

Does anyone how how many years the assesment results are valid for GA? I no the Rssb standard is 5 years but I know some tocs do 2-3 years.

2 years I think

 

[Daz1310]

Has anyone done there DMI for any TOC

Just looking to get a feel for what it's like the structure, the questions as herd a few different stories that are very different

 

[Stigy]

Has anyone done there DMI for any TOC

Just looking to get a feel for what it's like the structure, the questions as herd a few different stories that are very different

I’ve done three. Freightliner, DB Cargo and GWR. From my experience they’re all pretty much the same in terms of the likely questions you’ll be asked. The DMI will be largely based on competency (“Give an example of a time you’ve had to challenge somebody acting in an unsafe manner” as a very broad example of one). There will probably be something about the company in there too, to assess what you know about them as a business.

 

[Beastie]

Anyone had any update on if they have been added to the shortlist?

 

[Jonty]

Anyone had any update on if they have been added to the shortlist?

Nope .... all gone quiet

 

[Beastie]

Nope .... all gone quiet

No news is good news then

 

[pc131313]

Great

 

[Beastie]

Anyone else doing stage 1 assessments on Monday 2nd September for Willesden?

Nope went for Norwich